The Starter Course Cheese Collection
James Beard
A winner of the James Beard award
Harbison is a Jasper Hill original. The cheese gets its name from Anne Harbison, affectionately known as the grandmother of Greensboro. She’s active in our community, runs a bed and breakfast, works in the public library, and is delighted that we’re honoring her with a namesake cheese. Harbison’s thick but spoonable paste balances rich, sweet-cream flavors with vegetal complexity. Each wheel is cinched with a strip of spruce cambium, or interior bark layer, harvested from Jasper Hill’s woodlot. This technique adds woodsy nuance to the ripening cheese, while providing structure as the interior softens to a gooey texture when fully ripe. When a bit younger, the bark can be peeled away for sliced portioning. If the bark has fused with a more loosened paste, then it’s best to leave the bark intact and spoon out portions from the top.
Sue Conley and Peggy Smith founded Cowgirl Creamery in the early 1990s, with the mission to help West Marin’s farms and dairies get their delicious products into the hands of the finest local chefs. Nearly 30 years later, Cowgirl Creamery is an icon in the industry. In 2010, Sue and Peggy were inducted into the prestigious Guilde des Fromagers. They have both also received James Beard Awards for "significant and lasting achievements and contributions to the food and beverage industry for ten or more years.
This package includes 4 of Cowgirl Creamery’s Signature Cheeses, Jasper Hill Harbison, plus accompaniments!
- 7 oz. Mt. Tam – An organic American Original cheese recipe, our best-selling cheese has all the lusciousness you expect from a triple cream with a unique heart that upholds its texture. Named after the iconic landmark Mount Tamalpais that rises over the San Francisco Bay in Marin County, Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt Tam cheese is produced with organic, locally sourced milk and rises above the standard for bloomy rind cheeses. Mt Tam takes you from fudgy firmness to buttery softness with flavors spanning from bright creme fraiche to complex and mushroomy, evoking the North Bay’s lush green and gold pastures.
- 5 oz. Cowgirl Hop Along* – A snackable organic cheese under the influence of hard cider. After 45 days of aging, this washed rind cheese develops aromas of apple and brioche and a silky, semi-firm interior. Hop Along is a versatile and approachable option for both cheese novices and experts and easily pairs with a variety of snacks (cured meats, preserved and fresh fruits, nuts) and beverages (kombucha & hard cider)
- 7 oz. Pierce Point – Pierce Point transports you to the scents and sights of late spring on the Northern California Coast. Named for a ranch on the Pt Reyes National Seashore, this luscious triple cream starts with organic, locally-sourced milk. Each wheel is rich with the aromas of the surrounding pastures. Pierce Point delivers all the herbaceousness of the milk, accentuated with herbs and stunning edible flowers, capturing the essence of the season year-round
- 9 oz. Jasper Hill Harbison
- 3 oz. Tosini Prosciutto
- 4 oz. Smoked Spanish Pimenton Almonds
- 11 oz. Cornichons
- 6 oz. Raspberry Rose Jam
- 5 oz. Cherry Pistachio Crisps
- 6 oz. Cowgirl Crackers